1. Field of the Invention
This application is a national phase of application Ser. No. PCT/FR00/00501 filed Mar. 1, 2000, now abandoned.
This invention concerns equipment permitting a user to perform touch-sensitive reading of information from an electronic calculator, generally intended for the blind.
2. Description of Related Art
At the present time, Braille displays do exist that, according to the model, comprise twenty to eighty characters, each of these characters consisting of six to eight pins activated by the same number of piezoelectric cells controlled by the calculator and making it possible to create a relief on said character. Because of their technology, these reading devices are bulky and expensive. In addition, these devices are designed for reading only and the user must use another piece of equipment, of the Braille keyboard or other type to perform the entry of information into the electronic calculator. It is to be noted that such displays must be set on a plane support during their use and do not fit easily into portable pocket devices, such as electronic memo pads, messengers or others.
From patent documents WO 9832112 (NISSEN DOUGHTY) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,001 (PENNER), systems are known of for touch communication between a blind user and an electronic calculator, enabling said user to read or enter data into the electronic calculator. These systems contain sensitive units to give the user a sensation, as controlled by the calculator, and computer data entry units.
More specifically for the system described by WO 9832112, the sensitive units operate with a pair of touch-sensitive components assigned to each finger of the user. These components for each finger vibrate at different frequencies to communicate specific information. A combination between these vibratory states makes available to the user a significant combination of touch information.
Again more specifically, the system described by U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,001 features a handle provided with touch-sensitive components that are divided into a group of four components arranged on both parts of the handle.
The purpose of this system is again to propose touch-sensitive units offering a significant amount of information to be transmitted.
It appears that these devices, like the previous ones, are not suitable for transposition to portable pocket equipment, such as a memo pad or alike, because of their operation and structure.
This invention makes it possible to resolve these disadvantages by proposing a system based on a simple and inexpensive technology and thus permits the user to enter data into an electronic calculator as well as to read data from this same calculator.
The system under this invention is of the type described by WO 9832112 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,001 to enable a blind user to read or enter data into an electronic calculator. This system contains sensitive units and entry units as above-mentioned.
The system under the invention distinguishes itself in that it can fit in the calculator case. The sensitive units are designed to give to the user, as controlled by the calculator, at least a binary sensation on each of at least two fingers of said user while each combination of simultaneous binary sensations can be assigned to character-type or other information transmitted by the calculator.
Therefore, an information unit can be transmitted through the simultaneous detection of the presence or not of a sensation on each of the different fingers.
In addition, the sensitive units are distributed over each one of at least six fingers of the user, each sensitive unit corresponding to one of the dots on a Braille character.
Finally, each sensitive unit is arranged in relation to an entry unit so that the user can perform the entry or reading without changing the overall position of his/her hands, i.e., it is placed close to or inserted within the body of the entry unit.
The entry unit can be used, for example and depending on the software selected, as a Braille keyboard by pressing simultaneously the main keys corresponding to the dots of the Braille character to be transmitted.
In the reading mode, the calculator transmits a character by activating the sensitive units associated with the same keys that, when pressed in the entry mode, communicate the same character to the calculator.
With the sensitive units communicating to the user""s fingers a combination of simultaneous sensations, said user can establish the correspondence between said combination and said character to be read, then confirm the actual elementary reading by pressing a key to request transmission of the following character from the calculator. Under another embodiment, transmission of the characters can be achieved in a sequential manner according to a frequency defined by the user. To switch from the reading mode to the entry mode, the user can press an auxiliary key.
Under several alternate designs of the invention, the sensitive units can communicate to the user a binary sensation in the form of a relief, of the locking of a mobile component, of a vibratory sensation, of a thermal sensation, of a light electrical pulse or any other type of sensation.
Under one embodiment of the invention, each sensitive unit can be equipped with a well-known device, such as an electromagnet, a piezoelectric cell, or a part made out of a so-called xe2x80x9cform-memoryxe2x80x9d material, moving a component capable of creating a relief. Such relief may appear on the face of the equipment case accessible to the user""s fingers, or on the button of the key itself when the key, under an alternative design, contains the sensitive unit.
Under another design and when the entry unit contains the sensitive units, the sensation involved in the transmission of a character to be read consists of locking said key pressed down. To perform the reading, the user presses simultaneously all said keys and establishes the combination corresponding to the code transmitted by detecting all unlocked keys. Once the user has identified the character, he/she releases all pressed keys, thus informing the calculator that it may transmit the following character.
Under a preferred embodiment, the mechanism capable of locking the key mechanism in the down position consists of an electromagnet that, when energized, draws to itself a component that opposes any movement of the entry key.
The communication device under the invention can be designed as a conventional Braille keyboard that integrates the sensitive units arranged in accordance with the invention. In that case, said device should be placed on a support to be used.
Under an alternate design, the device under the invention can be contained on a case characterized by the fact that the majority of the entry units and of the sensitive units is located on the face of said case that is opposite to the face designed to be facing the user. Thus, this reading and entry equipment can be used without requiring any support since it is held between the palms of the hands of the user pressing or reading with his/her thumbs the keys and the sensitive units possibly located on the front face or on the edges of said case while the other fingers of each hand can press or read the keys and sensitive units located on the opposite face.
The device under the invention can be managed by a software based on the Braille method and therefore contain only six to eight sensitive units. Both hands are then required to read a single Braille character. Under an alternate design, other sensitive units are judiciously placed in sufficient quantity so that each hand can enter or read a common Braille character.
Under an alternate design, the equipment under the invention does not contain any display elements other than ten sensitive units arranged in two groups of five assigned to the five fingers of the left hand and the five fingers of the right hand, respectively. Such device, managed by software based on a different Braille method and using the thirty-one possible combinations on five elements, makes it any way possible to read or to enter most common characters with only one hand.
Under another embodiment, several sensitive units can be distributed over each finger or act also on the user""s palm.
Regardless of the embodiment, the touch-sensitive reading system or the communication device under the invention can be connected to a standard personal computer port or integrated into its case, while the calculator and possibly a communication module make it possible to connect to a network such as the Internet and to an electronic message service.